Chapter 185: Grayfia's First Appearance
Three days after the abduction... ahem, after rescuing Asia, the fallen angels finally sent a message, requesting Rias to return her.
During these past few days, Asia had fully integrated into the Occult Research Club. Under Rias's direction, Akeno tested the little nun's magical aptitude and the abilities of her Sacred Gear.
"Twilight Healing" not only ranked a tier higher than ordinary Sacred Gears but also possessed a rare indiscriminate healing ability.
Coupled with Asia's excellent magical aptitude, Rias also felt that Asia had great potential and was particularly suited for the Bishop role.
Especially since Asia was an orphan, with a pure and kind-hearted nature.
Beyond abilities, Rias also highly valued the character of her servants—she didn't want any stray devils among her subordinates.
After consulting Asia's opinion, she sent an uncompromising reply stating that the person belonged to her, that even this territory was hers, and she would absolutely not hand anyone over.
Asia felt these past few days were the happiest of her life. She no longer had to be forced to do various chores daily, and she had a soft bed and delicious food.
Her only daily task was healing training injuries for Yuuto and others. Such minor wounds didn't even count as consumption for her, and she genuinely enjoyed the feeling of helping people through healing.
While the Twilight Healing had no will of its own, Sacred Gears possessed spirit and generally sought hosts with compatible natures. That Asia was chosen by Twilight Healing made it no exaggeration to call her a modern-day little saint.
The reason she was expelled from the Church was because she healed an injured devil. Though fully aware of the hostility between devils and the Church, she couldn't stand by and do nothing when faced with an injured being.
Now, saintly as she might be, Asia could still distinguish right from wrong. If someone was truly evil, no matter how compassionate she felt, she wouldn't foolishly heal them.
Besides, she was still young. With proper guidance...
Ahem, with proper education to slightly adjust her worldview, this kindness of hers could be reserved solely for allies.
Overall, Asia was a good kid who'd never become a saint in the negative sense, or what some might call a "virtue-signaler."
Through the healing process, Asia also built friendships with others.
Haruto initially worried about worldline convergence leading Yuuma to covet Asia's Sacred Gear, but later realized he'd been overthinking.
Ever since their power broke through to A-rank and they completely broke away from the Fallen Angel faction, the destinies of Yuuma and her two companions had completely changed.
Yuuma's current strength made Twilight Healing barely worth her notice. If she were to obtain a Sacred Gear, it would need to be nothing less than the strongest below the level of Longinus-class Sacred Gears.
This competitive nature of Yuuma's could be uncharitably described as greed. As her power grew and her horizons broadened, her ambitions naturally heightened.
But Haruto didn't dislike this about her. When it came to becoming stronger, his own moral boundaries were quite flexible. His attitude toward unrelated people wasn't much better than Yuuma's.
For example, if a goddess-level woman with no connection to him or his companions lay helpless before him, allowing him to do as he pleased...
Haruto absolutely wouldn't hold back.
Regardless of whether she had someone she loved, or even if she already had a husband and children—for the sake of gaining power, he could fully become the kind of person he despised most.
Haruto once thought himself incapable of such things, having suffered under the Cuckold Protagonist Template's persecution.
But the longer he stayed in this world, the more girls he bedded, the more his ideology underwent indescribable changes.
Especially after discovering the possibilities of eternal life, ruling over the world, and transcending it entirely, ordinary human concepts became increasingly fragile to him.
This transformation resembled how people's perspectives shift through different life stages. The same person as a child, teenager, and adult often holds completely different, sometimes opposite, views about society and the world.
Haruto didn't know whether this change was good or bad, but he didn't resist it.
He will always be himself, as evidenced by his extraordinary soul and spirit distinct from ordinary people.
But let's get back on track.
After Rias refused, the fallen angels surprisingly made no further moves. Only Azazel sent a message expressing hope for an early reply.
Kuoh Academy's first semester begins on April 2nd, with less than ten days remaining until school starts.
Since Asia's arrival, Haruto hadn't continued investigating the Great Church or Azazel.
During his free time, under the pretext of helping Asia familiarize herself with the environment, he would take Koneko along as the three of them went out to have fun together.
After hearing about Asia's experiences, Rias' impression of Azazel hit rock bottom. She didn't insist on continuing the investigation, instead waiting until the appropriate time to report to higher authorities and expel these fallen angels.
This time, upon receiving Azazel's message, she directly notified Grayfia about the situation.
...
March 27th, one week before school starts.
In the Occult Research Club room, Haruto and the other Servants surrounded Rias like stars encircling the moon, quietly awaiting the arrival of the strongest Queen.
In the center of the living room, a silver-white magic circle quickly took shape, its dazzling silver light gradually converging into a slender figure.
Grayfia appeared before everyone wearing her classic blue-and-white maid uniform—an extremely conservative formal outfit that didn't even reveal her neck.
Yet the excessively large peaks on her chest created exaggerated curves, which combined with her charming, mature face, still gave off an intensely alluring aura.
"A mature version of Sakuya Izayoi," Haruto thought upon first seeing Grayfia, another more familiar maid suddenly appearing in his mind.
The two were remarkably similar—both with silver hair in braids, wearing maid uniforms, serving as head maids to their masters.
But unlike the padded "Pad Leader," the pair of large bunnies on Grayfia before him were undoubtedly genuine.
Haruto involuntarily swallowed, curious about what kind of explosively voluptuous and wonderful body might be hidden beneath those conservative clothes.
——————
Meanwhile...
In Gensokyo, existing in some unknown corner of the world, within the Scarlet Devil Mansion situated on Misty Lake, a silver-haired maid preparing B-type blood tea for a five-hundred-year-old vampire loli suddenly felt her nose tingling.
——————
As the strongest maid, Grayfia possessed Maou-level power and immediately noticed Haruto's gaze.
Her figure had always been this way, frequently drawing attention, especially after having children when she became increasingly sexy and voluptuous.
Detecting no malice in Haruto's gaze, Grayfia chose not to comment.
Actually, upon first seeing Haruto, she found him quite pleasing to the eye, with a faint sense of goodwill lingering in her heart, so she simply ignored that little bit of lustful intent.
Grayfia slightly bowed, greeting Rias with proper etiquette. "Miss Rias, good afternoon."
Rias nodded in acknowledgment and briefly introduced everyone present.
"Grayfia, they are all my Servants and Servant candidates."
The candidates referred to Asia and Haruto. Although filed in the records, given Haruto's current situation, he wasn't strictly recognized as Rias' Servant yet.
"This is Grayfia, my brother's Queen and also my sister-in-law."
Grayfia glanced at everyone, nodding slightly, though her gaze lingered on Haruto for just a moment longer.
The speed was too fast for anyone present to notice; only Haruto, as the person involved, sensed something.
He thought his earlier inner thoughts had been seen through and gave an awkward smile.
"Grayfia, what did my brother say? Did he send you to help drive away that fallen angel?"
With such a powerful and malicious fallen angel in Kuoh Town, Rias always felt somewhat uneasy.
Grayfia shook her head and said seriously, "Sirzechs-sama instructed me to inform you to avoid conflict with Azazel if possible. His offer is quite favorable, and you might consider accepting it."
As the Governor of the Fallen Angels, Azazel held a status equal to the Four Great Devil Kings, and his strength was exceptionally formidable. If they could receive his guidance, Rias and the others' power would undoubtedly grow rapidly.
Rias frowned and said, "Grayfia, I've made myself clear. His intentions are malicious, and I cannot cooperate with him."
"Miss Rias, whether to cooperate or not is up to you," Grayfia replied calmly. "But Sirzechs-sama said he cannot help you drive him away. With the three-way summit approaching, you should understand."
Rias fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I understand. I will handle it myself."
Grayfia said nothing more, bowed slightly to Rias once again, and a silver magic circle appeared beneath her feet once more.
As the silver magical power dissipated into points of light, everyone in the occult research club turned their gaze to Rias.
"President... what do you plan to do?"